Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-07-20
system in Farming.
KENT DUNLAP,


System in Farming.
The best and most successful farmer
is he who understands his business
and reduces his knowledge to a prac-
tical system, which can be readily
taught and easily understood. Al
though men have been acquiring g.
knowledge of the soil and it's produc-
tiveness for ages, yet their modes of
practice are nearly as wide of uni
form system as ever. When we find
one who recognizes and conforms to
the fundamental principles OF ag1i-
cultural science, we find numbers who
laugh at the idea Of any other authori-
ty than their own practice, handed
down from their ancestors. But we
find that there are causes operating
against old-time acknowledgements
good in their day-and rapidly bet
ter and more intellectual course is
adopted. We might state here that
the cause of the great advancement
that has been made in the cultivation
of the soil has been to q great degree
the work of the agricultural press.
The diffusion of agricultural knoWl-
edge through this medium, and the in
vention and general introduction of
labor-saving machinery have tended
to break up in great degree old and
empirical practices. The use of i'm
proved implements necessarily I'M
proves our method Of culture, pro-
ducing more general uniformity,
which OH soils of equal fertility leads
to similar results.
Nature rewards the agrlCulturist
precisely in proportion to the efforts
he puts forth to merit ner favOrs. II
he puts the soil in a mechanical con-
dition favorable to the circulation of
air among it's particles, the effects of
drouth are less felt and the soil In
better condition to impart nourlsh-
ment held therein to growing crops.
There are still other things than the
primary preparation of the soil rem
ders system in farming so important.
He who carefully lays out his farm In
proper fields, making g. map OF the
same, devoting each field to success
sion of crops, with suitable manuring,
basing the rotation upon the adapta-
ton OF one crop to fit particular soils,
and pursuing all his operations with a
plan, doing every thing just at theright
time, and with a determination
to make experience and the lights
OF science as available as posi-
BILE in his calling, will undoubt-
eddy reap the most abundant re-
ward Of his labor. To complete the
system he must keep q record OF all his
farm operations, for in no other way
can he be said to have q full knowl-
edge of his business. II he keeps no
account of the expenses of production
he does not know whether q crop is
produced at g. profit or loss; it is all
guesswork with him, and this has
given what is called "bOOk-farming"
the discredit that it has among g.
large class.
In conclusion I would call the atten-
ton of all farmers to the Importance
of keeping O. correct farm record OF all
their plans and transactions, for in
no other way can so large fund Of
farm knowledge be obtained with the
same trouble and expense. The farm
ers's ability to transact his business
in q business-like manner is increased
in proportion to the increased knOwl-
edge of mis- business details, and In the
same proportion also are his profits
increased = Practical Farmer.
Cut-Worm Remedies.
The following remarks from the
Iowa Homestead ere worth remem-
bering: The dry year seems specially
favorable to these pests. 1t should
be more generally known that cab
bage, tomato, strawberry and other
plants set out in their season can be
saved by wrapping the crowns, when
set. with horse radish leaves. With g.
basket of wilted leaves at hand the
wrapping can be done with little loss
of time. In connection it may be well
to say that q garden patch or newly
set strawberry bed can be soon
cleared of the worms by dropping
handfuls of freshlycut succulent
young clover, over the ground at
night. In the morning the worms will
be found at work under the clover
and can be quickly destroyed. We
once cleared q badly-infested cab
bage patch in two evenings by drop
Ding the handfuls Of clover quite
closely together.
Absorption of Nitrogen.
Soils were placed in vessels OF glazed
earthenware, and in some cases were
protected, in others exposed to air
and rain, the rainwater being collected
and analysed, and the amount OF am
monia and nitric acid in the air being
also determined. The results show
that vegetable soils continually alb
sorb nitrogen from the air, even when
thew are not supporting vegetation.